Yankees Starlin Castro May Finally Be Back to His Old Self

After a dreadful start to his New York Yankees career, Starlin Castro finally looks like the player the team hoped they were getting when they traded for him last winter.

Like many of his New York Yankees teammates, second baseman Starlin Castro has seemed re-energized by the wave of promotions that have transformed the club since August 1st. He’s been a big part of the Yankees most successful stretch of the season, hitting .299/.321/.539 (124 wRC+) with 10 home runs in his last 165 plate appearances as of this writing.

Although he’s in his seventh year in the big leagues, it’s important to remember that Castro is just two years older than Yankees rookie Aaron Judge, and one year older than rookie Rob Refsnyder.

The 26-year-old converted shortstop has accomplished a lot already in his young career– making three All-Star teams, receiving MVP votes, and collecting over 100 hits– yet he’s still seen as a disappointment.

I will be the first to admit I hated the trade that sent Adam Warren to the Chicago Cubs last winter for Castro. Rob Refsnyder had raked when given the opportunity to play second base every day in September. Surrendering a valuable pitcher, blocking a prospect, and taking on $40 million in salary at a time the team was slashing costs all seemed foolhardy.

It’s hard to argue with how the trade has worked out, however. Warren is back in pinstripes as a throw-in from the Aroldis Chapman trade. Refsnyder got some regular playing time, albeit at first base, and has failed to translate his Triple-A production to the big leagues.

And Castro…well, he’s actually been pretty good. His at-bats can be incredibly frustrating to watch because of his enthusiasm for swinging at every pitch that comes his way and stubborn unwillingness to take a walk.

However, his power numbers have jumped back to where they were earlier in his career, and it seems like there might even be room for more growth as he matures as a hitter.

Castro has slugged a career-high 21 home runs this year with 17 games remaining, becoming just the fourth second baseman in Yankees history to reach that milestone, along with Joe Gordon, Alfonso Soriano, and Robinson Cano.

His defense is still a work in progress, but considering he’s still in his first year playing the keystone full time, we can give him a pass for now, or at least an incomplete.

As good as Castro has been in the second half this year, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman believes the 26-year-old has yet to reach his ceiling, telling Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media:

He’s come in here and he’s been a spark plug for us with power and production. He’s got great hit ability but I think there’s more potential there. I’m excited by what he’s done and what he’s going to do going forward.

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The overall numbers for Castro in 2016 still aren’t great, but if you really squint you can see the makings of an average or better second baseman for the next few years. That is miles better than what the Yankees have had since Cano left, so I’d call that a win and gladly admit I was wrong about bringing Starlin to the Bronx.